Friday, May 20, 2016

We're All Ears: May Inspiration

This month's We're All Ears challenge was inspired by tea.Yay, tea!While I might not be quite on the same tea-loving level as my friend who has an entire pantry devoted to it, I can say that I definitely love tea. My personal favorite is Earl Grey, and has been for as long as I remember. (And while I don't think it was because of Star Trek, I'm sure hearing Captain Picard repeatedly say "Earl Grey, hot," certainly didn't hurt!)When I read about this month's inspiration, I immediately thought of delicate china and tea parties in the garden, scones with clotted cream and cucumber sandwiches. It was based on this mental picture that I made these three pairs of earrings:

Teapots!Made with cherry quartz and white glass pearls.

Teacups!Made with pink glass pearls and white freshwater pearls.

Made with freshwater pearls and Chinese crystal, these could be worn to a high tea.I can just taste the scones.

...Before this morning, that was actually where I was going to stop this entry. After all, three pairs of earrings is plenty!Yet this morning, when I was preparing this post, I realized something: while those pairs of earrings capture the elegant fancy-china, pinky-up types of tea, they didn't really convey the pure at-home everyday comfort that tea can provide.After all, I have plenty of fancy tea cups and tea pots...

Fancy teapot being used for decoration,while my actual tea-making supplies are on the counter.See what I mean: bright orange lids!

I live 10 minutes away from Teavana.My tastebuds think this is wonderful... my bank account, not so much.

So, back to my beading table I went, and created one more pair of earrings...

This time, made in shades of tea--whether it be sugary and sweet with lots of cream (the light bronze pearls), or heavily steeped and dark (the dzi agate). This pair is less bright and gilded than the other earrings--less special occasion, more everyday, but elegant in their own right. Just like tea... it can be as fancy as a proper British high tea or an age-old Japanese tea ceremony, or as comfortable and cozy as a mug of tea brewed at home on a rainy day. (Like today. Yep, it's raining again.)

Now that I'm thinking of it, I want to make some earrings that are devoted to the different kinds of tea--matcha and chai and rooibos and white tea. Gah--too many ideas, not enough time!

...Did I mention that I love tea? ;)So, there you go! That's what I made for this month's We're All Ears challenge. Thank you, as always, to Earrings Everyday blog for hosting this challenge... and thank you, wonderful readers, for stopping by!Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! ...and maybe drink some tea, while you're at it. :)

Such great earrings you created! I love those little teapots! And the teacups! You really captured all different facets of this refreshment....and yes, Teavana could be dangerous to live by! We don't have one, but we do have a new tea shop in my downtown but I haven't been there...yet! Thanks for joining in the fun! Enjoy the day! Erin

To Tell the Story

See a design here that you like, and want me to replicate? Let me know! Chances are, I will be able to make it for you, too! (Depending on the availability of materials, of course.)

All ideas and designs shown here are my intellectual property--unless otherwise noted and credited. Please do not copy or imitate my creations, and respect their creator. Thank you!

My Monthly Challenge!

...Reveal for my most recent challenge...

Pretty Palettes - July Reveal

We're All Ears - July Reveal

Pretty Palettes - June Reveal

June 2017

We're All Ears - June Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Water & Fire Competition Reveal

Pretty Palettes - May Reveal

We're All Ears - May Reveal

Pretty Palettes - April Reveal

We're All Ears - April Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Forest Journey Reveal

Pretty Palettes - March Reveal

Bead Soup Blog Party: Bead Hoarders Edition

We're All Ears: March Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Queen of Hearts Reveal

Pretty Palettes - February

We're All Ears: February Reveal

Pretty Palettes - January

We're All Ears: January Reveal

Muffin Tin Challenge 2017

Pretty Palettes - December

We're All Ears: December Reveal

2nd Annual Use Your Leftovers Challenge

Pretty Palettes - November

We're All Ears: November Reveal

Pretty Palettes - October 2016

We're All Ears: October Reveal

We're All Ears: August Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Mystery Challenge 2 Reveal

Pretty Palettes - July 2016

Allegory Gallery - Luna Moth Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Coast

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Nomad

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Petal

Allegory Gallery - Tribes Competition: Mountain

We're All Ears: July Reveal

Pretty Palettes - June 2016

We're All Ears: June Reveal

Allegory Gallery - Starling Wing Reveal

Pretty Palettes - May 2016

We're All Ears: May Reveal

Pretty Palettes - April 2016

We're All Ears: April Reveal

Pretty Palettes - March 2016

We're All Ears: March Reveal

Pretty Palettes - February 2016

Bead Peeps Swap N' Hop

History Hop: Paleolithic Edition

Beady Leftovers Blog Hop

Leather Feather Blog Hop

AJE Component of the Month - August 2015

Bead Peep's Swap N' Hop

Artisan Component Marketplace Design Kit Challenge

2nd Annual Bead Hoarders Blog Hop

Haberdashery Blog Hop

8th Bead Soup Blog Party

Color of Dreams Blog Hop

Bead Ruckus

Bead Hoarders Blog Hop

History Blog Hop

7th Bead Soup Blog Party

Follow by Email

Search This Blog

About Me

I always create.

It is something that I’ve always done, even when I was a little girl making clothes for my dolls and creating elaborate landscapes in the backyard mud. Beads, fabric, paper, ink, language itself—I use every medium that I can get my hands on.

Why do I create? It’s my attempt to express the visions and stories that I have in my head. To me, everything has a story. The jewelry that I make has its place in the worlds about which I write. The skirts and scarves that I create have a history sewn in each seam (especially since I am notorious for not following patterns, but creating my own). To me, they are all outlets of my imagination. All are representations of my inner world.

And so, that is me. Thank you so much for stopping by! I am honored to have the opportunity to share my world with you.